Except Most of the Mormon murderers mentioned by Zakeet in his list occurred in...
To add even more to the complexity of why people acted as they did, the Lds Church History; Selections from the Encyclopedia of Mormonism adds three more reasons:
(a) Sidney Rigdon's June 19, 1838 "Salt Sermon" reinforced local Mormon opposition;
(b) Lds militia officer Sampson Avard initiated a vigilante group known as the Danites
(c) Rigdon's July 4, 1838 "inflammatory" sermon was the independence of the church from mobocracy. Rigdon "warned of a war of extermination between Mormons and their enemies if they were further threatened or harassed." (Leland H. Gentry, Church History, p. 343). Lds writer Max Parkin conceded that Rigdon's June 19 and July 4 messages "further incensed the public against expanding LDS influences." (Church History, p. 348).
Certainly, what we almost NEVER hear from contemporary Mormon posters is that apparently the first group to threaten the other with "extermination" in Missouri wasn't Gov. Boggs. 'Twas Lds leader Sidney Rigdon four months prior to that!
Even Mormon authors in good standing debate how the word "exterminate" -- as expressed by Missouri Gov. Boggs (who, btw, was probably shot and almost assassinated by Porter Rockwell at the instigation of Jospeh Smith) -- was defined:
From an FR-posted article from Nov. 15, 2010:
"Mormons are quick to point to Missouri Governor Bogg's Mormon "Extermination Order" but fail to consider Sydney Rigdon's "Salt Sermon" about trampling and hanging dissenters, the role of slavery, the historical events that led to Bogg's order and the latter attempt on his life. What most people miss is the correct definition of "extermination" in the 1835 time period. Webster's Dictionary of 1828 under "exterminate" has: "Literally, to drive from within the limits or borders. Hence, 1. To destroy utterly; to drive away...."
Source: Nov. 15, 2010
I added back then: George W. Givens, a Mormon author, likewise pointed this out in his book 500 Little-Known Facts in Mormon History:
"Latter-day Saints have universally condemned the notorious Haun's Mill Massacre by a mom-militia shortly after Missouri Governor Boggs issued the infamous extermination order...a second look at the definition of the word "exterminate" as it was used in 1838, however, might cause us to take a second look at Governor Boggs as well. An American Dictionary of English Language, published in 1828, defines "exterminate" as "literally, to drive from within the limits or borders." (p. 26) Bonneville Books, 2004
But, hey, I can understand why Mormon leaders haven't encouraged grassroots to actually study Mormon history on their own beyond the "faith-promoting" crap bottle-fed by Mormon leadership in Salt Lake City!
Sorry. Posted before reading the entire thread.